Honey Bee colony collapse disorder (CCD)

It is reputed that Einstein wrote that 'If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man'.

It is a fact that honeybees are the only insects that produce food for humans.

So a lot has been written recently about the plight of the honey bee.

Most people do now understand about the multiple crises facing the bee population that continue to empty the hives: foulbrood; varroa mites; viral diseases; dysfunctional immune systems and now the mysterious but globally devastating colony collapse disorder (CCD).

Most people also understand that the true value of the honey bee lies not so much in the sticky stuff that gives our favourite insect its name but in